Authorities in Germany uncovered three unexploded World War 2 bombs in a shipyard in Cologne-Deutz. The discovery prompted a massive-scale evacuation of over 20,000 people.
According to Stadt-koeln, the city discovered the bombs on Monday, June 2. Officials explained that they found two American 20-ton bombs and one American 10-ton bomb. Per the translated report, each explosive had an impact fuse.
Authorities say that the bombs have a 1000-meter radius, which necessitated an evacuation of over 20,000 people. The city also noted multiple buildings in the potential blast zone, including a hospital. “The background to this decision is that critical infrastructure is affected, which cannot be evacuated so quickly,” officials explained. “Among them is the Eduardus Hospital and two nursing and old people’s homes. These need corresponding temporal advances in order to be able to evacuate themselves and with the help of the Cologne fire brigade.”
The disposal also interrupted train travel and closed other public venues, including multiple schools.
The Largest Evacuation Operation Since WW2
The City later confirmed that they evacuated roughly 20,500 people. They also describe the evacuation as “The biggest measure after the end of the Second World War.” The disposal effort began on Wednesday, June 4, at approximately 7:19 PM and was ultimately successful. A translated report reads, “The three unexploded bombs, which had paralyzed large parts of the city, were defused. Experts of the Rhineland’s district government rendered them harmless.”
Officials said to expect delays but were slowly reopening the area and roads. According to a report by People, the operation was delayed as one person refused to cooperate with the evacuation. Kai Kulschewski, head of explosive ordnance disposal, reportedly said, “We can only start when the last person is out.”
The area of Cologne was heavily bombed during WW2, per the BBC. The outlet explains that it’s not unusual to find unexploded ordnance in Cologne or Berlin, but these particular bombs were larger than usual. During the evacuation, Emergency Services reportedly transported intensive care patients away from the area in ambulances. People who refused to evacuate faced expensive fines if they stayed put.